1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tools that are combination pitchforks and rakes, and more specifically, to a rake head attachment reversibly movable along the tines of a pitchfork between a retracted position and an extended position, and which in the extended position simultaneously provides the capabilities of both a rake and pitchfork.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A tool that combines the functions of both a pitchfork and a rake is desirable for certain kinds of chores, for example, cleaning the floor of a horse or other large animal stall. Such a combination tool permits one to alternately scrape material loose from the floor with the rake portion of the tool, and then pitch it into a container for hauling away--all without ever having to exchange a pitchfork for a rake or vice-versa. For those chores that require a pitchfork only, however, the rake portion of the combination tool preferably should be movable to a retracted position so as not to interfere with the tines of the pitchfork engaging the material to be pitched.
Pitchfork and rake combination tools have been previously described. Storr, U.S. Pat. No. 1,474,650 (Nov. 20, 1927), disclosed a tool that combined a crosspeice mounted on one end of a handle and provided with rigid tines, with a sleeve provided with tines adapted to lie between the stationary tines and mounted for limited rotation on the crosspeice. The tool functioned solely as a pitchfork when the rotatable tines were locked parallel to the rigid tines, but served as both a rake and a pitchfork when the rotatable tines were locked into a position substantially perpendicular to the rigid tines. A disadvantage of Storr's tool was that when the rotatable tines were in the latter position they interfered with forward-directed scooping motions of the tool at ground surface inasmuch as they would scrape or dig into the surface of the ground.
Zwicker, U.S. Pat. No. 705,008 (Jul. 15, 1902), disclosed a rake head adapted to slide along the tines of a pitchfork between a retracted and an extended position. The rake teeth being rigid, however, they likewise interfered with scooping motions of the pitchfork at ground surface.
Arason, U.S. Pat. No. 795,383 (Jul. 25, 1905), and Clark, U.S. Pat. No. 1,493,520 (May 13, 1924), disclosed combination rake and fork tools having a single set of tines movable from a position parallel to the handle of the tool to a position perpendicular thereto, thereby providing the utility of a pitchfork and of a rake, respectively. These tools were not convenient to use because alternating between raking and pitching required repetitive changes in the position of the tines. The combination rake and fork tool of Gould, U.S. Pat. No. 1,139,270 (May 11, 1915), a rake of conventional design upon which a pitchfork head was mounted for sliding movement between a retracted and extended position, suffered from the same disadvantage.
Miller, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,185,426 (May 30, 1916), disclosed a combined rake and pitchfork tool having a rake head transversely mounted to one end of a tubular handle and having a plurality of perforations. A fork head, comprising parallel tines inserted through the perforations of the rake head, was slidably mounted on the handle. Miller's tool served solely as a rake when the fork head was retracted, and served as both a pitchfork and a rake when the fork head was extended. A disadvantage of this tool was that alternating between raking and pitching required repeated inversion of the rakehead.
My invention is directed to a rake attachment for a pitchfork of conventional design that efficiently performs its intended purpose and without the aforementioned drawbacks.